"Understanding housing needs in San Francisco" to
the
Association of American Geographers, San Francisco, April 2007

San Francisco's Housing market has shown an unprecedented rise in value over
the past fifteen years and this has not only contributed to a change in the
structure of the housing market but also in the demography of the City as
well. Though city planners have added provisions to the city plan aimed at
providing more affordable housing to the general stock they have consistently
approved much more housing termed "Market Rate" than they have "Affordable".
The intent of this paper is to present how GIS analysis can be used to
graphically depict the relationship between the price of housing and the
community that lives in it.

Mr. Keven Flaherty also presented a
paper:

"Understanding housing need in San Francisco" to
the
Los Angeles Geographical Society, Los Angeles, May 2007

San Francisco like the rest of California has experienced an unprecedented
rise in housing prices over the last several years. This paper is meant to
look at several dimensions of San Francisco's shelter element to investigate
how changes in the housing market affect affordability. This paper's findings
are then compared to facts on the ground in order to provide a realistic
understanding of how housing activism relates to the urban environment.

The Department of Geography at California State University Long Bbeach was
hired to develop a web-based GIS portal as a subtask for Strategic Mobility 21
an Advanced Logistics Concept Project funded by the Department of Defense.
The purpose of this web portal is to provide stakeholders with the ability to
reotely explore the study area, through visualization and provide them with
the capabiity to perform basic spatial analysis functions on features of
interest to the project. The web portal was developed using a geographic
information system, ESRI's ArcIMS (Internet Mapping Service). Basic GIS
functionaity such as identification of features, buffering, zoom in and out,
pan, measuring tool, and query builder were implemented on specific data
layers and included in this web portal. The developement of the web portal
required several steps. (1) Appropriate data layers which include
transportation corridors (eg., rail roads, streets, and freeways), airports,
cities, military and intermodal facilities within six counties in Southern
California were identified. (2) Digital data layers were obtained from
various vendors and pricing and licensing of data was arranged. (3) Tranining
in ArcIMS and its installation was required. (4) The map layout was designed
in close consultation with the funding entities. The end result of this
project is an interactive ArcIMS web portal,which contains a number of data
layers including a Digital Elevation Model and Satellite Imagery. The map
interface of this web portal incorporates scalability. As a user zooms in to
larger scales, layers withtheir appropriate labels are displayed. As a user
zooms out layers with more detail are removed from the view.

Mr. César Espinosa also presented a
paper, winning second place honors in the CGS Cartography Digital Map
Competition:

The Department of Geography at California State University Long Beach was
hired to develop a web-based GIS portal as a subtask for Strategic Mobility 21
an Advanced Logistics Concept Project funded by the Department of Defense.
The purpose of this project is to provide stakeholders the ability to remotely
explore the study area through visualization, and allow basic GIS functions.
Development of the web portal required several steps; (1) Data layers which
include transportation corridors (e.g. rail roads, streets, and freeways),
airports, cities, military and intermodal facilities within six counties in
Southern California were identified. (2) Training in ArcIMS and its
installation was required. (3) The map layout was designed in close
consultation with the funding entities. The end result of this project is an
interactive ArcIMS web portal, which contains data layers including a Digital
Elevation Model and Satellite Imagery.

Mr. Simon Wright also presented a
paper, winning first place honors in the CGS Cartography Digital Map
Competition:

Japan, in terms of the natural hazards it suffers, is arguably one of the most
volatile and dangerous places to live in the world. As a result of its
location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, earthquakes and volcanoes present the
Japanese with a very real threat to their everyday way of life. Capturing and
visualizing these hazards is the primary concern of this project which
ultimately will act as a reference for information on earthquakes and
volcanoes in Japan. Taking the form of an interactive digital map, this
project was created in ESRI's MapObjects with the aid of Visual Basic 6.0
programming. There were several stages to its completion, including acquiring
knowledge of the programming language, collecting & georeferencing the
necessary data from the internet, before designing and implementing
interactive map functions and effectively visualizing the map features. In
essence, the finished product is a historical interactive map of Japanese
tectonic hazards.

"The volcanoes and earthquakes of Japan: An interactive map" to
the
Los Angeles Geographical Society , Los Angeles, May 2007

Japan, in terms of the natural hazards it suffers, is arguably one of the most
volatile and dangerous places to live in the world. As a result of its
location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, earthquakes and volcanoes present the
Japanese with a very real threat to their everyday way of life. Capturing and
visualizing these hazards is the promary concern of this project which
ultimately will act as a reference for information on earthquakes and
volcanoes in Japan. Taking the form of an interactive digital map, this
project was created in ESRI's MapObjects with the aid of Visual Basic 6.0
programming. There were several stages to its completion, including acquiring
knowledge of the programming language, collective & georeferencing the
necessary data from the internet, before designing and implementing
interactive map functions and effectively visualizing the map features. In
essence, the finished product is a historical interactive map of Japanese
tectonic hazards.

"TerraLook: Providing easy, no-cost access to satellite images for busy people
and the technologically disinclined" to
the
California Geographical Society , Anza-Borrego, March 2007

Access to satellite images has been largely limited to science communities
with the necessary tools and expertise, even though other communities such as
conservation or education, could also benefit from it. This situation has
resulted in underutilization of valuable data. Fortunately, these access
hurdles can be overcome with tools like TerraLook. Google Earth, for example,
has had a tremendous impact on the availability and display of image and
vector data. However, it is inappropriate for addressing certain types of
questions such as those pertaining to change studies important to
conservationists. Bandwidth and image processing options are also may be
limited. TerraLook provides a time-series of no-cost georeferenced images in
standard jpg format, and bundles this with open source desktop software for
utilizing them. Together, these make image analysis capabilities available to
people that lack time, or experience to use remote sensing software; or the
resources to buy it along with the expensive data.

"Geography back in High School? Assessing GIS and Technology for Teaching
Geography. Case Study: West Covina High School" to
the
Association of American Geographers, Denver, April 2005

The demand for GIS education and training has grown tremendously. This session
seeks papers on the experiences, techniques, and applications of GIS education
activities in various education levels (higher education, community college
education, and K-12 education). Topics include, but are not limited to: Web-
based GIS education activities and techniques, University GIS education
programs, Community college GIS education programs, K-12 GIS education
lessons, theories in GIS education, community-oriented GIS education
activities, the integration of GISystems education and GIScience education,
and the future direction of GIS education.

Ms. Maribel Enriquez, graduate student in geography at CSULB, is second
presenting a paper with Dr. Frank Gossette and Mr. James Woods:

"Long Beach, California: America's most diverse city?" to
the
Association of American Geographers, Denver, April 2005

Following the release of Census 2000 figures on race and ethnicity, USA Today
declared Long Beach, California to be the "most diverse city in the country."
This assessment was based on comparisons using the papers own Diversity Index,
which like the more familiar entropy measures, measures the evenness of
representation of Americas major race/ethnicity groups within the enumeration
area -- in this case the entire city population. And while the same indexes
can be calculated and mapped for smaller areal components (census tracts for
example) to show the pattern of differing levels of evenness within urban
areas, the results do not adequately measure the spatiality of diversity
itself. This paper examines a variety of truly geographic approaches to the
measurement and visualization of population diversity.

"Healthy cartographies: The social implications of disease mapping," to
the
Association of American Geographers, Chicago, March 2006

The medical geography sub-discipline has often cited cartography with its
ability to interpret health and infirmity in a spatial context as a way to
differentiate itself from epidemiology and other health sciences. Pioneers
such as John Snow and Jacques May emphasized mapping techniques in order to
inform the masses on health patterns, diffusion processes, and their spatial
relationships. Through the decades, disease mapping has become essential to
comprehensive health geography studies and is used by many organizations at
varying scales. This paper looks to three particular characteristics of
current health mapping: health cartography's tendency to initiate public
health regulation, to increase general awareness, and to redefine disease in
reaction to its graphic representation. In the process, specific social
implications result.

Ms. Julienne R. Gard, presented a paper:

"Creating health in a Native American sweat lodge: The production of an
alternative healing space," to
the
Association of American Geographers, Denver, April 2005

Three decades ago non-natives attending a Native American sweat in a sweat
lodge would have been unprecedented. With alternative medicine's
popularization in recent years, however, traditional healing is currently
attracting people of all races, ages, and sexes. The Native American sweat
lodge is one such space, one offered in a variety of settings. These specific
landscapes may be analyzed vis-à-vis dual contexts; firstly as
therapeutic sites, and secondly as ones of tourism. The study's purpose is to
analyze the principal question: How and in what ways are these alternative
health care practices constructing and producing healing spaces?

Ms. Gard also presented a paper:

"Dengue Fever Among Australia's Aboriginals: Traditional versus Western
Prevention and Response Methods," to
the
Association of American Geographers, Philadelphia, March 2004

The recent 2003 Winter-Spring outbreak of dengue fever in Cairns, Australia
and surrounding
areas affected the urban white population as well as the Mossman Gorge,
Tjapukai, and
Yirrganydji aboriginal communities. Factors such as uneven state
funding, negative attitudes
toward indigenous peoples, and spatial inequities (i.e. proximity to
facilities) seem to
perpetuate the ever-growing disparity between indigenous and non-
indigenous healthcare. As a
result, aboriginal community members must resort to their own methods of
preventive
intervention and reactive measures. Primary accounts from aboriginal
community members,
non-indigenous citizens, and public health officials examine the
structure of the 2003 outbreak
and offer some insight as to the future of tropical disease control
among Queensland's
indigenous population.

Ms. Denise Behrens, alumna in geography at CSULB, presented a
paper:

"A comparative geographic analysis of European Union and United States
governmental foreign aid" to
the
Association of American Geographers, San Francisco, April 2007

In many respects, official foreign aid granted by the European Union exhibits
important contrasts from that of the United States, most notably in terms of
recipient nations, the forms and amounts of aid given, and stated objectives
and strategies. Many of these transatlantic differences appear to have their
origins in varying foreign policies, geopolitical interests, and historical
linkages, among other factors, and can furthermore have a significant impact
on the affected nations. Therefore, this paper will conduct a comprehensive
examination of foreign aid granted by the United States and the European Union
(primarily at the supranational level) from a geographic perspective. After
ascertaining and analyzing the specific similarities and differences between
European and American aid, some possible reasons for the spatial patterns
revealed will be discussed. Finally, it will briefly speculate on the future
of foreign aid from the European Union and the United States, as well as some
of the potential repercussions of both current actions and planned
initiatives.

Ms. Denise Behrens, undergraduate major in geography at CSULB,
presented a paper:

"The lost constellations of European celestial cartography," to
the
Association of American Geographers, Denver, April 2005

The purpose of this study is to examine the changes in the constellations that
have appeared on European celestial maps, with a special focus on the "lost"
constellations found on some of these maps. Before the adoption of 88
standardized constellations with specific boundaries in the early 20th
century, European celestial maps were often characterized by numerous
additions of new and sometimes unusual constellations with every edition.
While some of these constellations have remained in use until the present day,
others have not been so fortunate. The result of this is that there have been
dozens of relatively unknown constellations that have traversed some of the
most famous celestial maps in history, yet are barely remembered today.
Therefore, this paper will discuss the origins and short tenures of these
forgotten constellations. It will discover which of these constellations have
survived the test of time, while others have vanished from todays star maps.
Finally, it will postulate possible reasons for the demise of these
constellations, despite the adoption of some of their contemporaries.

Ms. Behrens also presented another paper to the AAG back when she was
still a math major, before "we got to her":

"Los Angeles Chinatown and its New Business Improvement District," to
the
Association of American Geographers, Los Angeles, March 2002

This study will discuss the current conditions of the Los Angeles Chinatown
area, as well as the effects of the recently established Los Angeles Chinatown
Business Improvement District. Recently, with the assistance of special
financial assessments, some members of the community have organized various
programs in an attempt to attract patronage to Chinatown. Although these
programs may help, many still feel Chinatown faces challenges in its attempt
to revitalize, such as strong business competition from other nearby Asian
communities, as well as its own local problems, such as its proximity to crime
and what many visitors consider to be a deteriorating outward appearance.
Therefore, the main question that will be considered in this study is, can
this business improvement district idea successfully revitalize Chinatown? Or
is this effort too little, too late? These questions as well as many other
issues will be discussed in this report.

The Oakland Berkeley firestorm of October 20, 1991 was of unprecedented
proportion and engulfed 2.5 square miles of the East Bay Hills. It was
responsible for 25 deaths and over 150 injuries. Over 5,100 people were left
homeless and 3,469 housing units were damaged or destroyed in an eight hour
time period. This fire was one of the most costly in U.S. history. This
project was a collaborative project combining research done in two separate
geography courses at California State University, Long Beach. One course of
study involved Hazards and Risk Assessment and the project entailed the
collection of various forms of data relating to the fire's physical dynamics,
human impacts and social responses. These facts were published on the World
Wide Web in an interactive format at http://www.csulb.edu/~djeffrey/hazards.
California State University, Chico students Mike Altman, Chris Bujalski,
Maxine Madrigal, Mike Parenteau, Lisa Perry, and Jack Riddle created the maps
appearing in the web format. The second course of study involved Cartography
and the presentation of the physical dynamics of the fire spread presented in
a series of maps incorporated into a video format with live video footage,
photos, and music accompaniment. The web page explains the importance of fire
mitigation, the presentation board maps show the extent and speed of this
hazard and the video illustrates these aspects in a vivid, emotional way.

"Centralizing Corporate Assets with GPS Technology at Southern California
Edison," to
the
23rd Annual ESRI International User Conference, San Diego, July 2003

Southern California Edison's (SCE) telecommunications division Edison Carrier
Solutions (ECS) is developing a pilot GIS/GPS asset management system. The
implementation of this proposed system will aid the design, construction, and
maintenance of ECS's fiber-optic network. Data collection will take place with
GPS units, and data storage will be on a central server running Oracle8i. GIS
users can access data through ArcView and CAD users access through AutoCAD.
This paper will cover how obtaining GPS-based geographic data and storing the
data in a centralized server will benefit ECS's analysis and design of its
network.

"Assessment of Interpolation Methods and Spatial Resolutions on Urban Digital
Surface Models Derived from LiDAR," to
the
Association of American Geographers, New Orleans, March 2003

This paper will explain the inner-connections between interpolation algorithms
and spatial
resolution on the representation of urban surface models derived from raw,
first-return LiDAR
data. Three interpolation methods are used to create raster DSMs (digital
surface model) of the
University of Southern California : Inverse Distance Weighting, Spline, and
Kriging. Each
interpolation method will be created at five spatial resolutions: 0.5m, 1m,
2.5m, 5m, and 10m.
A combination of accuracy statistics (root mean square error (RMSE), standard
deviation and
mean absolute difference) are used to assess which combination of
interpolation method and
spatial resolution create the most accurate representation. The higher the
spatial resolution the
larger the data storage requirements and processing power required to analyze
the data.
Identification of how interpolation methods and spatial resolutions effect the
representation of
surfaces will help users efficiently process their data.

"Centroid Hunting: The truth is out there_or is it?," to
the
Association of American Geographers, New Orleans, March 2003

Geographic Information Systems (GISs) are frequently used in assessment of
natural
resources. Digital Elevation Models are a common GIS data source for terrain
representation
and analysis. Slope and aspect are topographic parameters frequently derived
directly from
DEMs. Numerous algorithms exist to compute slope and aspect from an elevation
grid
(Burrough and McDonnell, 1998; Carter, 1992; 1990, Horn, 1981, and Zevenbergen
and Thorne,
1987). This research evaluated and quantified the accuracy of the computer
representation of
elevation and derived topographic parameters (slope and aspect) by GISs. High
accuracy
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) were used to ground truth elevation as
represented in a
10m resolution USGS DEM. Centroids of the 10m grid cells from the Glendora, CA
7.5-minute
Level 2 USGS DEM were used as ground truth locations. Issues associated with
the navigation
to and location of centroid points, subgrid variability and GPS accuracy will
be presented. Field
measurements of elevation, slope and aspect collected in the Bell 1 research
watershed
located in the San Dimas Experimental Forest (SDEF) were compared with GIS-
derived values.
The accuracy of the computer's representation of elevation, slope and aspect
is a function of (a)
DEM grid resolution, (b) topographic complexity, and (c) the algorithms
utilized by the GIS to
compute slope and aspect.

Messrs. Brian Sims, an active graduate student in
geography at CSULB and research associate at the Southern
California Wildfire Hazards Center, and David McCune,
undergraduate student and research assistant in the RESAC, presented:

"Diurnal live fuel moisture change in Adenostoma faciculatum (Chamise)
in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California," to the Association
of Pacific Coast Geographers, in San Bernardino, September 2002.

This paper will discuss the results of and protocol used during field research
to
quantify Live Fuel Moisture (LFM) changes of Adenostoma fasciculatum
(chamise) during a twelve hour time period. Fuel moisture is an important
variable in predicting the rate of spread of fire and is calculated on both
dead and
life fuels. Much research has been conducted on the fuel moisture of dead
material and is commonly accepted as an adequate predictor. Current studies
are investigating the importance of life fuel moisture may have on fire
hazard.
These studies are measuring the seasonal variations of LFM on several hard
chaparral species in the Santa Monica Mountains. This study is an attempt to
quantify the diurnal variations rather than seasonal changes.

"Assessment of Interpolation Methods and Spatial
Resolutions on Urban Digital Surface Models Derived
from LiDAR," to the Association of American Geographers, in New
Orleans, March 2003.

This paper will explain the inner-connections between
interpolation algorithms and spatial resolution on the
representation of urban surface models derived from
raw, first-return LiDAR data. Three interpolation
methods are used to create raster DSMs (digital
surface model) of the University of Southern
California : Inverse Distance Weighting, Spline, and
Kriging. Each interpolation method will be created at
five spatial resolutions: 0.5m, 1m, 2.5m, 5m, and 10m.
A combination of accuracy statistics (root mean
square error (RMSE), standard deviation and mean
absolute difference) are used to assess which
combination of interpolation method and spatial
resolution create the most accurate representation.
The higher the spatial resolution the larger the data
storage requirements and processing power required to
analyze the data. Identification of how interpolation
methods and spatial resolutions effect the
representation of surfaces will help users efficiently
process their data.

Mr. Sims also presented:

"Centralizing Corporate Assets with GPS Technology at Southern California
Edison," to
the
Twenty-second Annual ESRI International User's Conference, in San Diego
during July 2002.

"Centroid Hunting: The truth is out there_or is it?," to
the
Association of American Geographers, New Orleans, March 2003

Geographic Information Systems (GISs) are frequently used in assessment of
natural
resources. Digital Elevation Models are a common GIS data source for terrain
representation
and analysis. Slope and aspect are topographic parameters frequently derived
directly from
DEMs. Numerous algorithms exist to compute slope and aspect from an elevation
grid
(Burrough and McDonnell, 1998; Carter, 1992; 1990, Horn, 1981, and Zevenbergen
and Thorne,
1987). This research evaluated and quantified the accuracy of the computer
representation of
elevation and derived topographic parameters (slope and aspect) by GISs. High
accuracy
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) were used to ground truth elevation as
represented in a
10m resolution USGS DEM. Centroids of the 10m grid cells from the Glendora, CA
7.5-minute
Level 2 USGS DEM were used as ground truth locations. Issues associated with
the navigation
to and location of centroid points, subgrid variability and GPS accuracy will
be presented. Field
measurements of elevation, slope and aspect collected in the Bell 1 research
watershed
located in the San Dimas Experimental Forest (SDEF) were compared with GIS-
derived values.
The accuracy of the computer's representation of elevation, slope and aspect
is a function of (a)
DEM grid resolution, (b) topographic complexity, and (c) the algorithms
utilized by the GIS to
compute slope and aspect.

This poster seeks to present the Southern California Center for managing fire
hazards at the urban-wildland interface to address a continuing regional
problem threatening life and property in the United States. This center wss
developed by a consortium of universities, research organizations, and the
main fire fighting agencies of the southern California region, including the
Los Angeles County Fire Department. The urban-wildlands interface is an area
of great concern throughout the nation when seeking fire hazard mitigation.
In Southern California, where wildlands vegetation is dominated by chaparral,
a fire-adapted ecosystem, city boundaries and suburbs press against wildland
vegetation, homes are intermixed within wildlands areas, and islands of
wildland vegetation exist within metropolitan areas. The expanding
urban-wildland interface further increases the risk of loss due to wildfire.
The Southern California Wildfire Hazards Center uses the latest remote sensing
instrumentation, both airborne and orbital, together with field and map data
to attack the growing problem of fires in Southern California by addressing
the need for timely, spatially continuous information delivered to the user
community in usable formats. Previous work of consortium members provide the
initial framework for the incorporation of new data sources and the
development of new analysis techniques and database management tools, in close
consultation with the firefighting community, to define and produce timely
products that can be used as general planning and fire hazard prediction tools
and potentially as inputs to fire behavior models.

Mr. Michael McDaniel, graduate student
in geography at CSULB, presented a paper with Ms. Micaela Lukasser, student at
the University of Salzburg, Austria, entitled:

"International Cooperation with GIS," to
the
Association of American Geographers, New Orleans, March 2003

During spring semester 2002 students from California State University, Long
Beach and the
University of Salzburg, Austria traveled to each other's country as part of
the course
"International Cooperation with GIS." The course was designed so that the
students
participated in a service project designed and managed by the host university,
applying
Geographic Information Science and their own perspectives and expertise to
matters of local
concern. This poster describes the projects undertaken by the students and
their results.

In Long Beach, the students employed a vector-based analysis of 2000 census
data on behalf
of the Aquarium of the Pacific to examine its visitor/membership profile and
make
recommendations on applying limited advertising resources to best advantage.
Among the
findings, the project identified an under-representation of aquarium patronage
in census tracts
with predominantly Latino population and recommended expanding Spanish-
language
advertisements and programs.

In Salzburg the students examined several issues affecting Western Austria's
Hohe Tauern
National Park, the Alps' largest nature reserve. One aspect of the project,
using a raster-based
analysis of cost-distance or friction model, determined which areas of the
park are least
accessible and so, all else equal, most appropriately designated special
conservation areas
off-limits to visitors.

"Cultural Geography: An Experiment in Hypermedia," to
the
Association of American Geographers, Los Angeles, March 2002

In this poster, I examine the possible relationship between geography as a
discipline and hypermedia as a form of geographic communication. Hypermedia
represent a multi-layered landscape that often defies perceived tendencies
and enforces radically different approaches in the pursuit of removing the
dazzling appearance of our own fixed placement in time. Geography blends a
unique combination of multiple dimensions studies and political discourse;
a simulacrum of mediated objects that possess identity and interconnected
metaphor. Hypermedia creates similar metaphors of spatial and political
discourse through the filter of a high-order design process. Both seek to
examine the dualistic nature of landscape (built-form and representation)
and the metaphers that are found amongst the "tangled verdure" of Sestini's
cultural geography regressions. On the surface, each represents a
particular element of culture and a theoretical discourse. Further
examination may help to qualify their particular relationship in a common
mode of interpreted results.

As a graphical representation, a flow diagram and supplementary information
will illustrate the structural relationship involved in the acquisition of
geographical knowledge and the behaviors appropriate for navigating in the
hypermedia experience.

"Environmental and Natural Resource Applications of GIS: Course Development,"
to the International Conference on GIS
Education, in San Bernardino, June 2001.

This presentation will describe the initiation and development of a course on
environmental and natural resource
applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The objectives
of the course, methodology and procedures used in
the development of course materials, and skills acquired through the
assignments will be presented. The methodology
utilized could be applied to the development of other GIS
application courses. This presentation will benefit both faculty and
students interested in expanding GIS course offerings and developing
GIS laboratory materials that enhance skills and
utilize relevant data.

Ms. Valery Müller, a recent alumna of the graduate program in
geography at CSULB, presented a paper, entitled:

"Satellites, Census, and the Quality of Life," to the
Association of American Geographers, Los Angeles, March 2002.

This study analyzed the potential to predict Quality of Life levels in urban
environments in
Southern California. Twenty-six census variables were used to determine the
socio-economic
structure in the study area. Structural variables, consisting of amenities and
nuisances as well
as the biomass index NDVI, were extracted from satellite images, and the
distance of each
enumeration district to the structural variables was calculated. Data obtained
from two different
spatial resolutions were compared to evaluate possible differences in the
findings. Multiple
regression models were employed to test the predictive potential of the
structural variables from
the satellite imagery. Results indicated that the ability of the structural
variables to predict
Quality of Life factors is limited. There was considerable variation in the
predictive power
between census years and between levels of resolution. Furthermore, a
comparison of results
obtained from data at different spatial resolutions did not result in better
predictive power.

Ms. Valery Müller, currently an active graduate student in
geography at CSULB, presented a paper, entitled:

"Monitoring Urban Growth with Remote Sensing in Montego Bay, Jamaica," to the
Association of American Geographers, Los Angeles, March 2002.

The last time the 4000 square miles of Jamaica were completely covered by
aerial photographs was in 1991. Comprehensive maps were made 20 years ago.
With new technologies, such as commercially available 1-meter resolution
satellite images, data are more readily accessible. Satellite images as well
as aerial photography from 1991 will be compared with recently acquired high
resolution imagery to determine changes in land cover for the Montego Bay
area.

Montego Bay is the largest urban center of St. James Parish, with a population
of over 83,000 and an estimated annual growth rate of about 2% (1997). Tourism
has emerged as the dominant economic activity, which created significant
employment opportunities and stimulated urban development. Despite all
efforts, pressure has been placed on the supply of housing, and the growth in
squatter settlements on the outskirts of Montego Bay is accelerating rapidly.
The comparison of remote sensing data from ten years ago and today will help
determine the extent of urban sprawl by detecting areas that changed from
undeveloped to developed land.

In 1999, the local regional planning authority, the Southern California
Association of Governments (SCAG), ordered the update of the General Plan Land
Use Maps of all cities in Southern California. This project deals with a
subregion in Los Angeles County, the Gateway Cities. Each city has its own
classification system of urban land uses, which were transformed into one
uniform classification system. The result was a database with each city's
intended land use, and a map to visualize different goals of the cities. It
serves both SCAG and the cities to coordinate the future development within
the Gateways Cities region.

In addition, Ms. Müller presented another paper, entitled:

"Using GIS to Update 27 General Plan Maps," to
the
Western Geography Student Conference, Portland, OR, 2-4 February 2001

A year ago, the regional planning authority Southern California Association
of Governments (SCAG) ordered the update of the General Plans of all cities
in Southern California. Part of the General Plan outlines the broad physical
structure of a city in the future in terms of land use, such as residential,
industrial, and commercial land use, open space, transportation, water,
public facilities, etc. A map is part of the General Plan, which shows the
planned land uses within the city.
Twenty-seven cities in Southern California form the "Gateway Cities" region.
Each city has its own classification system of urban land uses. These
different systems were transformed into one uniform classification system.
Not only several differences in classification systems needed to be
considered, also the data input varied from city to city: some cities
provided hand drawn hardcopy maps, others had digital GIS data, some cities
made parcel data available, others only block data.
One consistent system was created by using already existent digital spatial
data from previous updates, which were combined with the provided attribute
data and new GIS data.
Numerous software programs were combined to process the data, for example Arc
View, Arc/Info, Excel, and more.
The result was a database with each city's intended land use, and a map to
visualize different goals of the cities. It serves both SCAG and the cities
to coordinate the future development within the "Gateway Cities" region.

Ms. Müller came to CSULB as an undergraduate exchange student from
Austria last year and decided to stay here to pursue a master's degree.

"Mi Barrio Loco: Dot-Com Gentrification and Musical Resistance in San
Francisco's Mission District," to
the
Association of American Geographers, Los Angeles, March 2002

This study examines the role of music as a form of protest and resistance to
gentrification in San Francisco's Mission District. The Mission,
founded by the
Spanish in 1776, is one of California's oldest barrio communities. In
addition
to the traditionally dominant Latino population, various immigrant and
artistic
elements have also contributed to an eclectic and dynamic urban
environment. The dot-com boom of the past decade has brought a
veritable
cultural invasion of high-income professionals and development minded
real
estate speculators into the Mission. Extreme rent hikes and speculative
evictions have resulted in the displacement of many poor and minority
long-time residents and small business owners. Community resistance to
this
trend has begun to organize on many social, political, and artistic
fronts,
including musical resistance. A popular local Latin rhythm/hip-hop
band, Los
Mocosos, has recently documented and dramatized this struggle in song.
Another form of resistance comes from traditional mariachi musicians
who
stubbornly continue to make their rounds in the yuppie filled sushi
bars and
haute cuisine eateries that have replaced many neighborhood "mom & pop"
restaurants. In both instances, music is centrally implicated in the
contesting of
sonic space as one battle-line of a larger culture war for the identity
of the
community.

Mr. Huefe recently completed his M.A. in geography at CSULB under the
supervision of Dr. James Curtis. He is presently a Ph.D. student at
Arizona State University, Tempe.

Mr. Huefe also presented:

"Across the Borderline: U.S.-Mexico Borderlands as Locus of Transformation in
North American Popular Music," to
the
Association of American Geographers, New York, in late February and
early March 2001

This paper continues an ongoing examination of the image content found in
twentieth century popular music of the United States, with the goal of
discovering perceptions commonly held by North Americans towards the U.S.-
Mexico border region. Through the power of its imagery, music simultaneously
gives voice to our existing world-view and reshapes this view into new
formulations. Both lyrical and musical imagery is considered in the analysis
of songs that make reference to the border region. Initial work has revealed a
fragmentary picture consisting of four principal themes: 1) old Mexico and the
old west, 2) outlaw myths and the border sanctuary, 3) border-towns as
Mexicoland/sin-city tourist destinations, and 4) songs of the migrant worker
saga. Within the corpus of songs representing each theme, antithetical
currents have also emerged. These dissident views present divergent and
changing interpretations that reveal the border as a dynamic place undergoing
evolution within the popular consciousness. The presentation focuses on the
evolving symbolic significance and transformational expectations associated
with the act of crossing the line. Changing dichotomies of good/evil,
freedom/oppression, and hope/despair are revealed in the music of various
popular artists including Ry Cooder, Woody Guthrie, Robert Earl Keen, Los
Lobos, Steve Miller, Marty Robbins, Bruce Springsteen, Texas Tornados, and
others.

"In the Line of Fire: A Preliminary Investigation into the Relationship
between Aspect and Fire History in the Santa Monica Mountains, 1925-1997," to
the
Western Geography Student Conference, Portland, OR, 2-4 February 2001

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between the aspect of
the terrain and the number of times the land has burned. This study will
utilize geographic information system (GIS) technology to investigate the
relationship between fire incident frequency and aspect.

Analysis involved comparing an aspect model, created from USGS 7.5 min.
topographic quadrangle DEMs covering the Santa Monica Mountains National
Recreation Area (NRA) in Southern California, and a database consisting of
fires in the area that have been mapped between the years 1925-1997. Aspect
was calculated using ESRI's Spatial Analyst extension in ArcView.

Fire analysis was developed utilizing a fire history database combined from
the Department of Water and Power, LA County Fire Department, Ventura County
Fire Department, and GeoCart Systems, respectively. In the Santa Monica
Mountains, the areas of burn incidence ranged from burned once to burned nine
times. The nine burn incidence classes were then merged to the derived aspect
to isolate an aspect of areas burned.

The percentage of each sector burned was determined by dividing the number of
directional cells within each class by the total number of cells found in each
burn incidence. A 'firerose' representing the 8 sectors (i.e. north,
northeast, east) was then developed for each burn incidence. ERDAS Imagine
software was used to create a 3-D "flythrough" of the Santa Monica Mountains
showing the current total of burn incidence areas.

This study was created from data sources of other ongoing research projects
concerned with wildland brushfire hazards. The center is directly involved
with the production of educational materials designed to promote undergraduate
training in remote sensing and opportunities for graduate level research. The
Southern California Wildfire Hazard Center (SCWHC), which is a NASA-funded
Regional Earth Science Application Center (RESAC), is located in the Geography
Department at California State University, Long Beach.

Keywords: Aspect, Brushfire, DEM, GIS, RESAC, Santa Monica Mountains

The four authors are graduate students in the Geography Master's Degree
Program at CSULB and work in the Southern California Wildfire Hazard Center.

"Urban Structure in Ensenada and La Paz, Mexico" to the upcoming
Association of American Geographers meeting in New York City in late
February and early March.

Based on detailed land use surveys, this study systematically compares the
urban structure of Ensenada and La Paz, the third and fourth largest cities in
Baja California. Both urban centers share common elements conducive to
comparative analysis, including similarity in age, population size, growth
rates, locational attributes, as well as economic characteristics. The
proportional composition of land use activities, their intracity
distributions, and the distinguishing landscape character of the two cities
are compared and contrasted. How the cities' internal structure conforms to
the most widely accepted morphological models that have been generated to
depict Latin American and Mexican border city structure is assessed.
Preliminary findings indicate that significant differences exist between the
two cities, especially in tourist, commercial, and industrial land uses.

Ms. Mindes is now a full-time instructor in the Physical Sciences Department
at Rio Hondo College, in Whittier.

Mr. Tom Frazier, who earned his M.A. from CSULB and is now serving as
one of our part-time faculty while working on his doctoral dissertation at the
Geographisches Institut, Humboldt-Universität, Berlin, is presenting:

"Security Habitation in the New Berlin: Landscapes of Defensible Residential
Space in Berlin's Newly Built Urban Environment" to the
Association of American Geographers, Philadelphia, March 2004.

The urban built environment of the city of Berlin, Germany has undergone a
significant transformation in the years since the fall of the Berlin Wall in
1989. Berlin's structural changes, primarily to its former capital city
function, have attracted a population composed of diplomats and politicians,
as well as a cultural and economic elite, with an above average need for
security. The influx of a "high security population" has resulted in a market
response for high-end residential development with integrated security and
service. The security habitation phenomenon is also part of the overall trend
towards the securitization of Berlin's public and private developed urban
spaces, and is an aspect of the globalization of residential development forms
in the post-modern city. The purpose for implementing and employing
residential security strategies to defend residential space is in an attempt
to safeguard human habitation against (real or perceived) harm or invasion.
Included in Berlin's new urbanscape development, are numerous residential
projects that have incorporated the concepts of securitized defensible space
into their design, placement, construction, and management. The security
aspect of Berlin's newly built residential environment can be analyzed in an
organized and systematic way by employing a method called the Security
Habitation Hierarchy. The Security Habitation Hierarchy is a method for
identifying and categorizing the varied forms, devices, and tools of
residential security, and is divided into three levels: The protection of
one's individual self at the point of habitation; securitization of the
housing unit or residential building; and the defensive design, either natural
or man-made, of the residential neighborhood or development. The three levels
of the Security Habitation Hierarchy method identify, organize, and describe
the physical imprint and effects residential security has had on new Berlin's
geographic urbanscape.

Mr. Tom Frazier also presented:

"The Security Habitation Hierarchy: Physical Manifestation of Residential
Security on Southern California's Geographic Urbanscape" to the
Association of American Geographers, Los Angeles, March 2002.

This paper attempts to provide an organized and systematic way of looking at
the geographic effect of residential security by using a method called
the
Security Habitation Hierarchy. The Security Habitation Hierarchy is a
method
for identifying and categorizing the physical imprint, on the urban
landscape,
made by the varied forms, devices, and tools of residential security.
The
implementation and use of residential security employ numerous devices
in
the attempt to safeguard human habitation against harm or invasion. In
Southern California residential security can be viewed almost as a
lifestyle,
and provides the paper with many examples for securing an abode, from
window bars to gated communities. The Security Habitation Hierarchy is
divided into three levels: The protection of one's individual self at
the point of
habitation; securitization of the housing unit or residential building;
and the
defensive design, either natural or man-made, of the residential
neighborhood
or development. The first level, the basic protection of one's self, is
primarily a
behavioral aspect of security habitation, but has a definite physical
effect. The
second level is the securitization of a housing unit or residential
building
utilizing site and building design, with access to entry the major
focus. The
third level of the hierarchy recognizes the impact of street and site
design, as
well as the local geography and topography directly affecting safety
and
accessibility. The three levels of the Security Habitation Hierarchy
identify,
organize, and describe the physical effect residential security has on
the
geography of the urban landscape.

Mr. Frazier is currently a Ph.D. student in the Geographisches Institut,
Humboldt-Universität, Berlin, working under Dr. Marlies Schulz, who spoke
on campus in April 2001. During 2002-03, while doing the field work for part
of his dissertation, he is serving as a part-time faculty member in our
department.

Mr. Frazier also presented:

"Tracking the traces of division: A survey of the remnants of the Berlin Wall
as a relict boundary on the urban landscape" to the California Geographical
Society, San Diego, May 2000.

The Berlin Wall was a physical barrier that divided a militarily occupied
capital city into east and west from 1961 to 1989. The superimposed boundary
split streets, neighborhoods, a city, and a nation in half. Physical traces
of the once formidable barrier between Communist East and Capitalist West are
in evidence throughout central Berlin, constituting a relict boundary. A
relict boundary is one that has been abandoned, but is still marked by
differences in the landscape that developed during its lifetime. This type of
boundary can be found in the form of physical remnants and vestiges of
demarcation and fortification employed at the border, or surrounding the
border area, and left behind after the border ceased to function. It is
important to know that the Berlin Wall was not just one edifice but actually a
series of physical barriers erected in a border security zone for the primary
purpose of preventing escape from East to West. The design of this
investigative study of the Berlin Wall as a relict boundary was threefold:
1.) To determine exactly where the Wall was placed and why; 2.) To describe
what constituted the Wall; and 3.) To reveal which remnants of the Wall remain
and what effects they have on Berlin's cityscape. The traces and remnants
that were looked for were those components that comprised the morphology of
the Berlin Wall. A field survey for a recent CSULB MA thesis was conducted
along an approximate ten-kilometer long representative course of the Wall,
through the center of Berlin, documenting whatever traces and remnants that
remain on the urban landscape. Though the Berlin Wall may no longer function
as an effective physical and political barrier to movement, it has left a
significant and lasting physical imprint on the urban landscape of the city of
Berlin.